When most people think Troy Maxson in the play Fences by August Wilson, they would probably think of him as someone who is the main provider for his family or someone who is self-centered, but Troy Maxson is actually a tragic hero in the play Fences. Troy Maxson is the protagonist of Fences and has his dream taken away from him because racial discrimination and that plays a big part of why Troy Maxson is the way he is. He has a caring wife name Rose Maxson, two sons, and allegedly a daughter, but Troy seems to be lonely. He believes he owes his family everything and he has to be the main provider for his family because he believes that it is his duty. Troy worked for the Sanitation Department as a garbage collector for many years. Troy is …show more content…
According to the play Fences by August Wilson after killing a man in the course of a robbery, Troy was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, where he developed a gift for baseball. Troy Maxson main dream was to become a professional baseball player, but he could not pursue his dream because of the color of his skin. Troy was robbed of becoming a professional baseball career because of his race and that made him an angry man for years. According to The article “Baseball as History and Myth in August Wilson's Fences” by Susan Koprince, August Wilson uses both the history and mythology of baseball to challenge the authenticity of the American dream. Set in 1957, just before the start of the civil rights movement, Fences takes place at a time when organized baseball has finally become integrated, but when racial discrimination remains widespread.1 Indeed, the protagonist, Troy Maxon-a former Negro League slugger-is consumed with bitterness, convinced that if you are a black man in America, "you born with two strikes on you before you come to the plate" (69). Throughout the play Wilson places Troy within the historical context of the Negro Leagues, allowing his character to echo the feelings of actual black ballplayers who were denied a chance to compete at the major-league level. Furthermore, by situating Troy within three of baseball's mythic settings-(1) the garden, (2) the battlefield, and (3) the graveyard or sacred space-Wilson …show more content…
The relationship between Troy and Cory Maxson is tense. Troy’s attitude toward his son always hostile because of his past. Troy is the son of an abusive father and his father was hardly around to raise him. Troy's father has influenced the way Troy treats his children. Troy did not have a good role model growing up and that is why he does not know himself how to be a good role model to his son Cory. Troy blames racism for taking his dream away from him and he having a hard time letting that go. Therefore, when Cory follows Troy's path in sports, Troy destroys his son's dreams, refusing to sign the permission paper and preventing the college recruiter from coming. In Act 1 scene 4 August Wilson mentions “Troy: I thought we had an understanding about this football stuff? You suppose to keep up with your chores and hold that job down at the A&P. Ain’t been around here all day on a Saturday. Ain’t none of your chores done...and now you telling me you done quit your job. Cory: I’m gonna be working weekends. Troy: You damn right you are! And ain’t no need for nobody coming around here to talk to me about signing nothing. Cory: Hey, Pop...you can’t do that. He’s coming all the way from North Carolina. Troy: I don’t care where he coming from. The white man ain’t gonna let you get nowhere with that football noway. You go on and get your book-learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build
In addition, "Baseball as History and Myth in August Wilson's Fences," this article focuses on the dramatization of "fences," by August Wilson . Wilson uses both history and mythology of baseball to challenge the legitimacy of the American dream. "Fences" takes place at time where baseball has finally become integrated. Wilson focus on the history of African American baseball that began in America during the decades following the civil war and continued in various form until 1947. In addition, Wilson uses Troy skills in the Negro Leagues to indicate that the American dream stays out of reach for people of African ancestry. Moreover, Troy points out an
All Cory wanted was warm love and affection, but Troy doesn’t know how provide that to him since all he ever got was tough love. When Cory started to fight against Troy, Troy said, “I done spent the last seventeen years worrying about what you got… you a man… turn your behind around and walk out this yard (Wilson 1177). On one hand, the line is pretty heartwarming because Troy admits that he cares about Cory enough to worry about “what [Cory] got”. On the other hand, Troy is blinded by his own experiences that he forces his son live in way that he thinks is right without any consideration for what
The play, “Fences” by August Wilson describes the life of an African-American family that is por. Troy Maxson, the father of the family, was a baseball player in the
Cory is very aware that his father is envious of his athletic accomplishments. Troy also has no respect for Lyons and he does not support his dream to be a musician.
became a father that Cory never wanted, ultimately leading to Troy’s own demise. While it
August Wilson’s Fences is a play about Troy Maxson, and how his values influence his family’s. The play takes place in 1950’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Troy Maxson is a black, middle aged man working for a garbage company. Each member of the Maxson family has a special relationship with Troy, that affects their behavior throughout the play. In life you learn the most from your parents. They teach you how to walk, speak, and respect one another. Your parents also give you a set of values for life. As you grow up as your own individual, your values will change from your parents. There will be things that are much more important to you, and not as important to them. In the play Fences Troy Maxson has a very strong set of values that he believes are true in how you should live life. Troy imposes these values on everyone in his family to the best of his ability. Each character in Fences is at a different stage in their life, so Troy can’t push his values onto characters that already have their own beliefs. The character that Troy has the most influence on in the play is Cory. Troy is in Cory’s life throughout his childhood, and as his father Cory must respect Troy. Troy is very firm with Cory, because he wants Cory to be successful. Cory has a dream of becoming a football player, and this does not follow Troy’s values. Troy influences Cory so much that Cory will always be like Troy whether he realizes it or not. “Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t … and at
This situation makes me wonder if he is actually scared that Cory will be an amazing athlete and will be better than him. Troy maybe jealous that his son has opportunities to succeed that he never had, no matter how great of an athlete he was, he could have never made it to the pros because of his skin color. Now his son is being recruited by professional teams to play for them. Troy may be against this because he doesn't want his son to be able to live the dream that he was never able to live. This makes their father son relationship very interesting. It is said that fathers typically want their sons to be better off then they are, especially not very wealthy people. You would think in this situation Troy would support Cory in what he wants to do and be happy for him that he has such wonderful opportunities. Troy maybe be acting like this because Troy still lives in a dream world and still thinks he a great base ball player. He has trouble accepting that his
Fences can be viewed as a family play, it can also be viewed as a work specifically of the black man's place, or plight, in a predominantly white world. Either way, it has a very valuable message. It is a true art to be able to touch on so many aspects of life in a work, aspects that may be viewed differently by different people.. Wilson's work, and the character of Troy Maxson, makes me question many things, among them myself, as well as his intended message. This is why I am so in awe of Fences, and of Wilson's talent. This is why I am writing my paper on Fences.
In Fences, August Wilson introduces an African American family whose life is based around a fence. In the dirt yard of the Maxson’s house, many relationships come to blossom and wither here. The main character, Troy Maxson, prevents anyone from intruding into his life by surrounding himself around a literal and metaphorical fence that affects his relationships with his wife, son, and mortality.
In this unit we read a play written as a book, called “Fences”. Fences is about racism written in the 1986. The play is based around the main characters Troy and Rose, and their son Cory. Troy has stated that he has felt the need to provide a life for Cory but doesn't need love him. Troy is wanting Cory to stop playing football and get a real job at the A&P so he can provide for himself. Rose has been trapped in between all of this. All in all, the play Fences written by August Wilson uses the narrative element of characterization of Troy and Rose, the metaphor of sports, and conflict that Troy creates to show tension.
It is obvious to the audience that Troy and Cory simply do not get along. The two are constantly bickering, mostly about Cory's dream to play football at the college level. Since playing baseball did not get Troy anywhere, he feels that football will not benefit Cory and that Cory should "get recruited in how to fix cars or something where he can make a living" (8). Troy constantly denounces Cory's dream and pressures his son to quit the highschool football team so that he can work at the local grocery store. The verbal abuse of Cory by Troy is enough to make Cory question whether or not his own father even likes him, but it is not until after Troy's affair with Alberta is out in the open that Troy and Cory's unhealthy relationship reaches a whole new level.
August Wilson’s play Fences brings an introspective view of the world and of Troy Maxson’s family and friends. The title Fences displays many revelations on what the meaning and significance of the impending building of the fence in the Maxson yard represents. Wilson shows how the family and friends of Troy survive in a day to day scenario through good times and bad. Wilson utilizes his main characters as the interpreters of Fences, both literally and figuratively. Racism, confinement, and protection show what Wilson was conveying when he chose the title Fences.
Lives are lead with anxiety over certain issues and with apprehension towards certain events. This play, Fences written by the playwright August Wilson deals with the progression of a family through the struggles of oppression and the inability to obtain the American Dream. The characters in the play develop throughout the story and can be viewed or interpreted in many different ways, but one man remains constant during the play and that is Troy. Due to certain events that transpired as he was growing up, Troy is shaped into a very stubborn yet proud man. To be a man who was black and proud ran the risk of getting destroyed, both physically and mentally. The world of the 1950s and 60s was rapidly changing and
Being African American, he has to carry the trash while the White employees drive the trucks. In spite of this obvious misdoing, no white employee speaks against it because it does not negatively affect them. Living in racism has tremendously altered the way Troy behaves, making him unknowingly ruin the lives of his love
Troy took care of his family as a man should. He took care of his sons with all that he had, but the love for his family was not evident in his character, especially with what he did to Rose. Cheating on Rose was a very selfish, and disrespectful act that showed no love towards his family. Troy’s behavior does not derive from racism, but stems from the relationship he had with his father when he was a teenager. Without him knowing, Troy was very similar to his father. His father “stayed right here with his family. But he was just as evil as he could be” (Wilson 905). Troy’s description of his father was the same person he was. In his conversation with Cory he says to him: “like you? I go out of here every morning…bust my butt…putting gup with them crackers